Smyrna times., 1887-05-11
Great Moral Work in Sussex
County.
AN Address UPON TEMPERANCE BY
ROBERT c. WHITE, A YOUNG DEM
OCRATIC LAWYER, AT SEC
OND MEETING HELD IN
GEORGETOWN LAST
WEEK.

Charles II. Treat presided, and in a
cOngratulatOry vein alluded to the
successful work of the last meeting,
and the hearty sympathy expressed
and encouraging words that he heard
on every hand for the success of the
club. He said that he was not sur
prised at the large audience, for he saw
this work touch the hearts and homes
of all people, and the poor and rich
alike were given it their praise and
cooperation. He hoped the sixty
eight signers of the last meeting would
be largely increased. He then intro
duced Robert c. White, Esq, young
and prominent Democratic lawyer of
Georgetown.
Mr.. White received a warm greeting,
and spoke substantially as follows:
This might be Il surprise on the part of
many of his old friends, that ne should
appear as a temperance advocate, but
this was an era Of surprises. He was
here to offer his opposition and give
his hearty cooperation to assist in all
things he could to dissuade his fellow
men from the drinking of Whiskey. He
discussed the question in a striking
and original manner, not treading in
the pathway Of the professional tenn
perance advocate. He said that law
was the written Incorporation of the
peoples will that he believed law
should be enacted to restrain the sale
and diminish the drink habit, but law
that should abolish its manufacture.
He was in favor of local option law
and he knew many members of the last
Legislature that were, as he had talk
ed with and been legally consulted as
to the constitutional authority of such
a law by members of the General As
sembly. He told them he believed
that under the present constitution the
decision of the court, that the former
prohibtory law was unconstitutional,
would stand and that any local option
law would not be sustained hy The
court. But, said he, this can all be
all overcome when the State has a new
constitution, and he hoped the friends
of temperance for this and other rea-
sons would sustain the calling off con-
stitutiOnal convention next autumn at
the polls. Said he, there are no politi-
cal questions that divide the parties
except the desire to control the Legisla-
ture and reap the rewards of Office; but,
this temperance issue was all impOr-
tant and had in it great elements of
veal or woe to the people. No public
question was so absorbing the peoples
minds. Almost every State Legisla-
ture was called upon to make some
kind of an amendment to satisfy this
demand. Could any one say as much
Of any other public issue? 1t had pass
ed beyond the domains of partisanship,
for Democratic as well as Republican
Legislatures were enacting laws to res
train the growth of the liquor traffic
Mr.. White believed such organizations
as this club were the true nurseries of
temperance sentiment. Ii would edu-
cate and soldify the public conscience
on this question and make a substra-
tum of power that would compel both
| political parties to have their nominees
| pledged temperance men. When this
was done, as he believed it soon would
be III Sussex county, then we could
/ have legislation that neither party
! dared TO oppose. The recent State
! Legislature passed stringent laws tC
! prevent gambling, and especially tC
protect the city OF Wilmington, which
was threated with invasion by the
Philadelphia gamblers, who were driv
en- out by the new reform laws enforced
| by Mayor Filter. If the Legislature
had the right To restrain personal liber
erty If good morals were to be pro
tected, the public peace upheld wher
the welfare of that city demanded it
! how much more reason was there tC
legislate on the liquor traffic, that en-
dangered more of the public peace, in
/ Cured crime and carried misery and
4 destitution to the home, not only oI
| the guilty drunkard, but also of the
innocent and helples women and chill
dren. No partisan cry was raised
! against the Legislature for this law
and why should there be for local op-
! ton law that was participated in and
and approved by all good, law-abiding
/ citizens? He believed Sussex county
was ripe for the harvest; it had only
to nail its banners on the outer wall
and proclaim It's purpose in every town
! to secure hey uud question the trium-
phant support of every hundred in be-
half Of the greatest reforms of the CEN
tury.
The speech made an excellent i'm
preston and will do the cause much
good. Mr.. White is natural refOrmer
He is the first lieutenant of A. p. Rob
inson, Esq, in behalf of constitutional
reform. He will be heard in the COM
ing campaign as one of its ablest advO-
Gates, and may be expected to do yeO-
man service.
The singing of the choir was fire.
quent and was very interesting part
of the meeting. The singers, contribu.
ted by the three churches, were DR.
Taylor, Miss Clara Burton, Mrs. G. w
Johnson, c. p. Tunnel, McKendree
DOwnham, d. S. Purnell, the postmas.
ter; Miss Ida Davis, Mrs. Captain
Stockley and Miss Lizzie Downing
President Treat, in an impassioned ap-
peal, called for signers to the pledge
and twenty-six persons responded
Morning NeiCs.